Find Lawyers in America for Railroad Law
Practice Area Overview
However, particular to railroads, therefore properly thought of as “Railroad Law,” is litigation in two areas of law: highway/railroad grade crossing litigation and occupational injury litigation under the Federal Employer's Liability Act (FELA), 45 U.S.C. §51, et seq.
Intersections between railroad traffic and highway traffic exist all over the country and are frequently the scene of collisions that result in serious personal injury and property damage, and commensurate litigation. Various provisions of state and federal law along with principles of physics, acoustics, and semiotics affect grade crossing litigation that make it an area of specialization.
A railroad whose business activity affects interstate commerce can be sued under the FELA by its employees who suffer injury from work that is performed in furtherance of interstate commerce. Effectively, this includes most railroads and all of their employees. Claims under the FELA are brought in lieu of claims under state workers’ compensation systems. The types of injuries for which railroads are sued under the FELA include “traumatic” injuries that occur from one or a few incidents and occupational diseases that are claimed to result from a long series of exposures to the disease-causing activity or substance. The FELA has been in effect for more than 100 years, and a specialized body of law has grown up around litigation under the Act.
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Gareth Aden has a broad range of trial experience developed from over four decades of practice. Gareth has tried multi-week cases in state and federal courts in Tennessee and throughout the Southeast. He has successfully represented clients from a broad range of industries, including railroad and transportation, insurance, real estate and construction, among many others.
Paul is a skilled trial attorney whose practice is focused on helping injured railroad workers obtain fair compensation under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. He understands the strategy and tactics required to level the playing field for his clients who bravely bring claims against multi-billion-dollar railroads. Paul excels at his trial work and has mastered the ability to artfully present his case to the jury during a trial, which is reflected in his most recent $8 million dolla...
Brad Belsome handles matters involving transportation law, specifically within the Rail Industry. He has represented a Class I Carrier in actions brought in the State and Federal courts of Louisiana, as well as before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Court of Federal Claims, Office of Administrative Law Judges, OSHA, including: claims prosecuted pursuant to the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA), 45 U.S.C. § 51 et seq. (1908), the Federal Rail Safety Act (FRS...
During his four decades with Stuart & Branigin Tony has been witness to and participated in extensive changes to his firm, his community and his practice areas. Tony was recently elected by his partners to serve as the firm's first Managing Partner. He also currently serves as Secretary and General Counsel for Greater Lafayette Commerce, an umbrella agency promoting regional economic development with its goal to make West Central Indiana the "Place of Choice" for businesses, industry and ...
Melissa Foster Bird is a partner in Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough’s West Virginia office. She has served as lead trial counsel in more than 30 trials in state and federal courts in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia. Her experience includes representing clients in complex cases in the pharmaceutical, medical device, transportation, and chemical industries—including other manufacturers, retailers, and convenience stores—in some of the most difficult venues i...
Chris Cardwell is a trial lawyer in GSRM’s Litigation and Labor and Employment practice groups. He serves on the firm’s management, marketing and staff committees, and leads the Litigation and Labor and Employment practice groups. Chris represents life sciences, healthcare, railroad and transportation, and entertainment companies in complex commercial, employment, and intellectual property lawsuits.
Jim is Chairman of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. His primary practice areas include admiralty, business, cybersecurity, data privacy, railroad/transit, and unmanned systems. Jim has tried over 100 cases to jury verdicts for clients involving a broad range of legal disputes. Jim advises governing boards and senior leadership regarding risks and resolution strategies in high-profile cases. His service as general counsel to companies, and as a director and officer of several non-pr...
dchurch@mwcattorneys.com (816) 382-1382 Admitted to Practice: Kansas, 1984 Missouri, 1985 Nebraska, 2012 U.S. District Court, District of Kansas U.S. District Court, District of Western Missouri U.S. District Court, District of Eastern Missouri U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit U.S. Supreme Court Education: J.D., Washburn University, 1984 B.S., University of Kansas, 1976 For more than 35 years, Daniel F. Church has been representing local, regional, an...
Bob Clifford is the founder of Clifford Law Offices, which concentrates its practice in helping victims of personal injury, medical malpractice, mass torts, consumer and health care fraud, product liability, and aviation and transportation disasters. Bob regularly handles complex damage cases and routinely receives multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. Mr. Clifford has represented those injured or killed in every major commercial airline crash in the U.S. in the last three decades. C...
Tim is a civil trial attorney with over 30 years experience. Tim has tried over 75 jury cases to verdict and has handled many more mediations and arbitrations. He has represented a variety of businesses and individuals in both complex litigation and a variety of challenging cases. He regularly handles the defense and prosecution of civil matters in the following areas: Labor and Employment LawPersonal Injury Railroad FELA and Railroad Crossings and other Railroad related cases Commercial Matt...
Thomas Louis Colletta, Jr. he concentrates his practice on varied areas of casualty litigation in New Orleans and Lake Charles. Mr. Colletta worked as an executive assistant to United States Congressman Jimmy Hayes of Louisiana’s seventh congressional district during and after college. Following law school at Tulane School of Law, Mr. Colletta served as a law clerk for the Honorable Gene Thibodeaux, Chief Judge of the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal. Upon completion of his clerk...
Earl DeBrine concentrates his practice in oil and gas, railroad, product liability and commercial litigation. For over 30 years, he has represented major energy companies, railroads and manufacturers in lawsuits and negotiations ranging from preferential purchase rights and other disputes under joint operating agreements, environmental and title disputes to oilfield wrongful death claims. He also regularly advises oil and gas producers concerning development transactions and appears before th...
Sarah has been defending railroad operators in difficult disputes for more than 10 years. Described by a national railroad client as a “skilled and talented attorney that gets outstanding results,” Sarah has repeatedly prevailed as a first-chair trial lawyer in litigation related to rail accident and employee injury claims. Sarah’s railroad clients have included major national operators and several Midwest short-line rail companies. Her work centers on defense against claims...
Tim Fields is an experienced practitioner in litigation and insurance defense. For more than thirty years, Tim has represented clients in their civil litigation matters including personal injury defense, railroad, transportation/trucking, insurance coverage/bad faith, medical malpractice, construction defects, products liability, toxic exposure and environmental, and FELA. His practice also includes nursing home/hospital/healthcare litigation defense, complex multi-party litigation, commercia...
Mr. Floyd focuses his practice on transportation, defending railroads in cases that involve toxic exposure, asbestos, grade crossing accidents, the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), and property litigation. Mr. Floyd moved to Colorado in 2014 and joined Hall & Evans as a Special Counsel. Prior to joining Hall & Evans, he was a firm officer at McLeod Alexander Powel and Apffel.
Mary Taylor Gallagher is a trial lawyer in GSRM’s Litigation and Labor and Employment sections. Mary Taylor has tried jury and nonjury cases in state and federal courts throughout Tennessee. In addition to general business litigation, Mary Taylor focuses her practice on the defense of employers in the railroad, transportation and healthcare industries. Mary Taylor advises clients on issues of labor and employment law compliance, including the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA),...
John Graham’s practice includes a significant amount of personal injury litigation, much of which is involved in the regular representation of Norfolk Southern Corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies. He also has a general litigation practice in which he has represented a number of companies and businesses in various commercial disputes. He has extensive experience in jury trials as well as appellate practice in both state and federal courts. Mr. Graham has been assign...
Patrick J. Hagerty is a native of St. Louis. He completed his undergraduate studies at Quincy College in 1981. He received his law degree in 1985 from Saint Louis University School of Law, and served as an editor of the Saint Louis University Law Journal. Mr. Hagerty is licensed to practice in Missouri and Illinois, and in federal district courts and courts of appeal in Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Arkansas and the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Circuits. He serves on the Board of Governors of th...
William Jungbauer is President and Chief Partner in the law firm of Yaeger & Jungbauer, Barristers, PLC, formerly Yaeger, Jungbauer & Barczak, PLC. Jungbauer has been with the firm for 40 years, starting in 1978. Yaeger & Jungbauer, Barristers, PLC have represented injured railroad workers and their families for over 80 years, since 1929. Jungbauer has served as President of the firm for over 25 years. jungbauer has been selected by Best Lawyers Every year it has recognized lawyer...
Larry Kurth serves as managing partner of Akerman’s San Antonio office. Board Certified as a Civil Trial Lawyer by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, he has a broad-based commercial litigation practice with a focus on insurance disputes. Larry has significant experience in policy drafting, interpretation, fraud, malpractice, and coverage matters. His clients include both multinational corporations and top 50 insurance companies. In addition to his insurance practice, Larry represe...
Cortney LeNeave started his law career in 1984 at the DeParcq Law Firm, the premier United States law firm representing injured railroad workers under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. Since that time, he has recorded some of the largest verdicts in the country in railroad, airplane, automobile, and trucking injury cases. Cortney is recognized by his clients and opponents as a fearless, determined, and dedicated trial lawyer who consistently received successful results. His accompli...
Randy LeNeave is a Certified Civil Trial Lawyer with a record of numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts and recoveries. He serves as a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, American Board of Trial Advocates, and International Society of Barristers, and as a board member of the Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys (ARLA). Randy’s practice includes a special focus on representing injured railroad workers under the FELA (Federal Employers’ Lia...
Steve Levine practices in the area of litigation with a focus on environmental counseling. Mr. Levine has wide experience in environmental litigation arising from enforcement, toxic tort, and business-related claims, and as a significant part of these engagements, he works closely with experts in a variety of professional fields. He routinely interacts with the Environmental Protection Agency in several regions and state environmental regulatory agencies in several states in matters relating ...
For Barry, working as an integral part of the American justice system is a way to improve society. He strives to make a difference whether it’s serving high-profile firm clients or people seeking legal assistance through the District IV Pro Bono Corp or Legal Aid Corporation of Tippecanoe County—organizations that have benefited from Barry’s leadership. In life and the pursuit of justice, Barry believes in getting to the heart of the matter and seeking resolution as soon as ...
Crawford McGivaren is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has been listed in Chambers USA for Commercial Litigation since 2002. He has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America in Business and Personal Injury Litigation since 1989, and is recognized for Antitrust Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Professional Malpractice Law and Railroad Law. He has been named by Super Lawyers magazine as one of the top 50 lawyers in the state of Alabama and was listed...
Patrick O’Brien has been a trial lawyer representing the rights of injured railroad workers for more than thirty (30) years. He has dedicated his professional career to helping those who have been injured through the negligence of others. Patrick has tried cases to verdict in 15 states and has represented railroad workers from all crafts. Patrick has developed a specialty in handling occupational injury and toxic exposure illness claims under the FELA and has achieved numerous substanti...
Peter Pfohl is a partner at Slover & Loftus LLP specializing in transportation, energy, administrative law, and legislative matters. He has been with the firm since 1997, and has represented a wide variety of clients, including railroad consumers, trade associations, state and local entities, and short-line and regional railroads. Mr. Pfohl actively participates in administrative adjudications, rulemakings, and hearings, in court litigation and appeals, and in the legislative arena.
John W. Proctor is the Managing Partner of Brown Dean. He has over 30 years of experience in civil trial law. Mr. Proctor has been board certified in civil trial law since 1990 and represents railroad and aircraft manufacturers in difficult and often emotionally charged personal injury and wrongful death litigation and consistently obtains successful results for his clients. Since 2002, he has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America and has been named a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuter...
Andrew Reitman is a seasoned trial attorney whose practice includes transportation, hospitality/recreation, construction, professional liability, premises liability, and catastrophic personal injury claims in state and federal courts. A former prosecutor, Andrew has tried over thirty civil and criminal cases to juries in Colorado. In his transportation practice, Andrew represents national railroad and trucking companies facing suits involving claims under the Federal Employers’ Liabilit...
Terry E. Richardson Jr. is one of the pre-eminent plaintiff attorneys in the southeastern United States. While many other lawyers operate within a single practice area, Richardson is a consummate litigator who represents individuals, governments and businesses on a wide range of legal matters. His intellectual curiosity has led to much success in his legal career on cases ranging from catastrophic personal injury to products liability, securities fraud and class actions. From agrarian roots i...
Susan Roney is a member of NP Trial. Her practice is focused on the representation of railroads and other businesses, including the news industry and hospitals and other health care providers, in commercial, labor and employment and personal injury litigation. What do you focus on? I focus my practice on the representation of railroads and other self insured businesses in commercial disputes, personal injury litigation, government and administrative investigations and hearings and labor and e...
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